Life by Beyoncé
by facenodefeat
Summary: A series of one-shots inspired by Bey's new album. Not in a timeline order but all one-shots are in the same universe. (Previously entitled Blow).
1. Blow

**Okay I've had this partly written for a long time (like since the day after Beyoncé released her album haha). I'm never confident in posting any of my work. But this fandom is so nice and this weekend was amazing after hearing about the season 3 renewal! So I figured "what the hell!" and decided to post. Um it's also kind of smutty… so yeah. I may make this into a few one-shots, not too sure yet. I hope you enjoy!**

Danny couldn't believe it, well he could- this was Mindy after all. Her "secret" warrior name was Beyoncé Pad Thai, of course she'd be the one to take a sick day the day after Beyoncé's new album dropped. She wasn't fooling him though, he liked to think that even before they started sleeping together he knew Mindy better than most. The sleeping together part just added a whole new dimension to their relationship.

He had decided this morning when he clocked into work only to find she had already called in, he'd visit her place after work with soup and feigned ignorance to the real reason she didn't make it in. They both had keys to each other's apartment so thankfully he wouldn't need her to ring him up.

As he made his way to her floor he could hear faint music that steadily grew louder the closer Danny got to Mindy's door.

_**"...sneezed on the beat and the beat got sicker..."**_

Mindy's door was practically vibrating with what was undoubtedly Beyoncé's voice. He turned the key and quietly pushed the door open.

Before Danny stood Mindy with her back to him, seemingly lost in the glaringly loud music. Swaying and swishing her hips back and forth. He took this moment to take in her appearance. She was wearing a pair of baby pink boy shorts, that further improved the shape of her ass which he didn't think was possible. Her thick glossy black hair that he adored threading his fingers through during their long nights together was gathered in a high ponytail with a few strands hanging loose. Her top was just a simple grey singlet, which tightly highlighted her curves.

Danny felt the telltale sign of desire rising within him– plans of calling her out pushed aside. He gently shut the door behind him, unwilling to draw attention to himself. He set the bag containing their food down on her floor and he slowly crept up behind her.

Mindy was in full dance mode, using her kitchen island as a make shift bar, dropping her body to the floor and bringing herself back up. Singing something about partitions in the process.

"Min..." he whispered in her ear while grabbing the top of her hips.

She quickly spun around screaming and smacked Danny across his face.

"Jesus Mindy! Ouch!" He glowered, holding his cheek.

"Danny what in the world would possess you to sneak up on someone?! What if I had a knife and I had stabbed you!? There is no way I could explain what happened! I'm not strong enough to even move your body and I'd never make it in prison! If Orange is the New Black has taught me anything it's that! I would never be able to use a stall without a door!" Mindy babbled as she turned down the music. Turned down, not off.

"Calm down, it's fine. I'm fine. Sorry! My mind was elsewhere," he leered pointedly. Looking her up and down with a grin.

"Danny! I'm not a piece of meat to be ogled..." Mindy purred while doing that thing where she pushed her chest out. "What are you doing here anyway? A day without me had your heart yearning?"

"Well you called in "_sick_" this morning but I saw your twitters about that chick from Destiny's Child releasing a secret album or something. Which in my opinion is a terrible idea, how does she expect people to buy it without any sort of promotion or singles? In any case, I put two and two together."

"Okay Danny. So much of what you just said is so wrong. One: twitter is the name of the social media platform; tweet is what you do on it. Two: her name is Beyoncé Knowles, Destiny's Child was like a decade ago. And lastly: Beyoncé needs no promotion, she is queen. She snaps her fingers and you obey. Danny she could release an album with just 20 tracks of her yodeling the news and I'd buy it! Oh my god. I'm going to suggest that to her in my next fan letter. It could get more people interested in world events! Well maybe without the yodeling..." she started to taper off. Danny could see the ideas flashing in her eyes.

"Min, I was joking. I know her name is Beyoncé, you have a picture of her framed in your bedroom. I mostly just stopped over because... yeah I guess I missed you." Danny coughed shyly.

"As a matter of fact, I "guess" I missed you too. It's not so fun eating lunch alone and my one sided banter isn't nearly as witty. Also this album has me kind of hot..."

"Hmm really?" Danny asked as he stepped closer to kiss her exposed throat.

"Oh yeah, the album is basically about how her and Jay-Z get up on each other on the reggggg," Mindy moaned the last bit as Danny sucked on the pulse point beneath her ear. She loved that he knew what drove her wild.

Danny moved his open mouthed kisses down her throat and lifted her up onto the counter, still kissing and nibbling at her chest. Mindy arms were around his shoulders and her hands in the hair at the back of his neck.

Just then she leaned back, stretching her arm, and turned up the sound on her iPod dock. Which was so very Mindy.

"You'll appreciate the serendipity of this moment later," she breathed.

He ran his hands up and down her sides, brushing the sides of her breasts- cupping them. Scrunching up her top he bent down and kissed her stomach, making his way lower. His hands grazed lower, loving the silky feel of her skin- feeling the goosebumps his touch caused. He carefully dragged down her bottoms, taking it agonizingly slow just because he knew she hated it. His breath was hot on the inside of her bare thighs.

Suddenly, Danny lifted her off the kitchen island and blindly made his way to her couch. He set her nearly naked form on the cushions, knelt between her spread legs and trailed his hands back to her hypnotizing ass. His grip firmly holding her in place.

He laid a kiss on both of her knees, working his way up the inseam of her thigh while his fingers drew lazily circles on her skin.

Mindy released a shaky breath, and further reclined back, her hands searching for purchase– anticipating what he was about to do. Danny was always looking to bring out this side of Mindy, totally uninhibited. At a loss of control.

Sex with Danny was always crazy passionate. Danny was extremely generous when it came to her needs– which in her experience was sort of rare, like bare legs in New York before April. Mindy felt her body reel as his mouth finally found its intended destination. She released a long sigh. Mindy was unconsciously humming along with his strokes. Danny was like the king of fucking cunnilingus. Lord knows he never wasted a drip. She grabbed his head as he sped up his ministrations. That pleasant crescendo was building, one who's end was that inevitable mind numbing burst of pleasure. A sensation that could make her swear in the existence of Rati.*

Danny knew she was close just by the quickening of her cries and breathing. As he relished at the bundle of nerves that he knew would bring her over the edge, she lifted her hips further against his mouth. She muttered his name in a quick succession, like she was committing it to memory, as she came.

Mindy just laid there for what felt like hours basking in the afterglow. Now that was a petite mort. The only sound she could hear was Danny's heavy panting from the floor on his back between her legs. That song must have been the end of the shuffle which made the moment even more serendipitous in her opinion.

"That was a pretty catchy song," Danny gulped. Tipping his head up to flash Mindy his signature crooked smile– his hair all mussed up from her pulling at it.

"Just wait until you hear Rocket," she smirked taking his hand to lead him towards her bedroom.

*Rati is the Hindu goddess of love. "Rati is often associated with the arousal and delight of sexual activity, and many sex techniques and positions derive their Sanskrit names from hers."


	2. Blue

**Warning: this one-shot is purely fluff.**

Mindy took off her headphones and put aside the iPad. Her feet were propped up on Danny's lap as he was reclined and immersed in one of his Ken Burns documentaries. She had been reading a celebrity baby name list in People magazine which had some pretty out there names– I mean Pilot Inspektor, really?

The atmosphere was cozy and comfortable; this nightly ritual had quickly become her favorite thing. It was relaxed and quaint, a night in she would have definitely poked fun at before. She laid her hand over her abdomen, she was nearing the end of the first trimester and the bump was just getting noticeable. It had been a shocking surprise well not too shocking in hindsight, she just can't believe as an OBGYN she had completely spaced out on the whole antibiotics and birth control thing not mixing. Either way, after her initial freak out and reluctance to tell Danny, everything was going swimmingly. Though like she expected, with Danny being the Catholic that he is– suggested marriage which she immediately shot down. She did not want her marriage labeled a "shotgun wedding." There was plenty of time for that in the future.

"Danny, how about Blue?" She nudged his arm with her foot to get his attention.

"Uhh, it's a nice color…" His eyes still trained on the TV in front of him.

"No for a name!"

"Like for a fictional cartoon dog?" This grabbed his full attention as he turned to understand just exactly she was talking about.

"For a human baby. Our human baby to be more precise."

"You can't be serious. Why not just name her Periwinkle or Turquoise or Seafoam Green?! Blue is the name of a color not a baby Min."

"Excuse me what about Violet, Scarlett or Rose– those are all colors but baby names too."

"Well technically roses and violets are flowers..."

"Ughh don't you start with your technicalities. And besides the number one power couple in the world have a baby named Blue Ivy."

"This is another Beyoncé thing isn't it?"

"Honestly this is bigger than Beyoncé! Which, just on a scale of things, is a statement I didn't think I'd ever utter. But this is our daughter's name– this could make or break her Danny. We don't want to give her a name that will result in a lifetime of ridicule but we also don't want to give her a name so dull that she has to fight for recognition!"

"You know we don't have to pick a name this exact minute right? We still have months. But I just figured you already had fifty names picked out, I seem to remember Piper and Madison."

"Don't forget Jaden and Brie."

"How could I forget about the kid who makes those weird tweets you love to recite to me and the cheese."

"Danny those are amazing names, they're just not the right names. Plus none of those names sound good with Castellahiri."

"I thought we agreed that mashing our last names together wasn't a good idea." He pinned her with his serious look.

"We did, I just love to see you furrow your brow when you prepare yourself for another argument."

"I do NOT do that." His voiced cracked at the end of his declaration.

She reached over and grabbed his face in between her hands and laid a gentle kiss on his lips. He looked at her questioningly.

"It is. But I love it. I love you." Danny's face softened as she traced her fingers across the top of brow and down to his cheek. He leaned down and captured her lips in another soft kiss.

"I love you too."

The television was in the background blaring something about the Prohibition in the background. She scooted over to give Danny room to lie beside her. He then rest his chin on her head– tucking her into his side, where she nuzzled into his neck and smelled his freshly showered scent.

If five years ago, hell even one year ago, someone had come to her and said that one day she would be having Daniel Castellano's baby– the sweaty, slightly arrogant, Springsteen loving, Staten Island bred doctor she worked with– that Daniel Castellano, she wouldn't have even laughed. She would have called up one of her friends from the psychiatric wing of the hospital and asked if they had any extra beds available in observation. Now, well after the first pangs of pregnancy panic settled, she realized how much she wanted and welcomed this baby– and how unmistakably right the whole thing felt with Danny. Sure if she was honest with herself, she actually had the same traditional ideas as Danny when it came to family. She really always envisioned being married first, enjoying that honeymoon phase– and then adding kids into the mix. But Mindy Lahiri M.D. wasn't traditional in any sense of the word in the other aspects of her life, so why start now?

She had unconsciously moved her hand back to her minuscule bump in those moments she was locked in thought. It wasn't until she felt Danny's warmer hand on top of her own that she was even aware her hand had moved. Mindy could feel the grin on his face as he entwined their fingers. He could be so very sappy when he wanted. He was definitely a romcom at heart though he'd never admit as much.

"Hey, what about Giselle?" Mindy whispered teasingly.

"…What?"

"It's Beyonce's middle name."


	3. Jealous

**Is everyone alive after that promo? 8 more days!**

It was a Friday night and the entire office found themselves at another MMA match– thankfully this time Peter was just a spectator too. Though he gave up the fighting part of MMA he still hung with that crowd and was constantly trying to get everyone to attend the matches with him. Which, as of late, had become increasingly harder. She and Danny could only forgo so many social obligations before people got suspicious, and it didn't help matters that Danny was the worst liar she ever met.

Mindy figured their number had come up, that they couldn't find any more plausible excuses as to why they couldn't make it. You could only use the visiting relatives card so many times before people started wondering how much family you actually had. So it was– Danny and herself found themselves at a hot, sweaty, loud and cramped fight instead of having a nice dinner followed by a thorough workout sesh (beneath the sheets that is.)

Unfortunately Danny could hardly pay attention to the masculine display of two men grappling for dominance in front of him. Not when to his left Mindy was gasping every time a body was slammed into the mat. He spent the whole evening imagining that it was him eliciting those gasps from her. It took every ounce of control he possessed to not grab her by the shoulder and crush his lips to hers.

Just when Danny thought the night was concluding, the seats and small venue emptying rapidly, Peter ushered them over.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlebros, we've been invited to an exclusive rooftop party commemorating Kenny 'The Anvil Sack' Spruce's 10th consecutive concussion! Open bar so ya know we gonna get stupid wasted!"

Mindy shot Danny a look communicating to him that they were definitely staying for the party. Who the hell celebrates concussions especially ten in a row? This man is a medical marvel and should be under in depth observation.

Thankfully the party was on the rooftop of the building they were currently in because getting a taxi on a Friday night was basically unheard of.

When they reached the rooftop the party turned out to be pretty mellow, only a few handful of people. Mindy knew it'd be a tough night though. Ever since her break-up with Cliff, Peter had been pushing random men towards her in hopes she'd get back on the "man saddle." She usually just told them that she doing the Eat, Pray, Love thing– well the Eat thing. And the Love thing, but that is on the DL.

One good thing about the night was the bartender had muddling equipment. Silver linings! As she was grabbing her mojito she saw Peter laughing and clapping some big dude on the back. Then the man made his way over towards her while Peter gave her a theatrical wink.

"Hey, I'm Ian. Or Ian the "Cage General." Peter told me your name is Mindy. You're an exotic beauty. So what are you?"

"Um, I'm a human. An Indian human." Mindy grumbled clearly unamused with Peter's incessant meddling.

"Sexy and witty, I dig a chick with brains. And wow, that's so weird. I'm like 1/16th Cherokee on my mom's side."

"...Yeah, what a strange happenstance." She opened up her phone, a clear signal that the conversation was over.

"You should come see my apartment. I've got the whole Indian motif going– you know I try to embrace my roots."

Danny couldn't take anymore. The beer bottle in his hand was in danger of smashing. Over that jerk's face coincidentally.

"Mindy can you come with me? I don't know how to check my voicemail and I told my Ma to call if she needed to get a hold of me." Danny sputtered as he led her away. Once out of sight of the party he took her hand and headed towards the elevator. It was dimly lit and smelled like a dirty gym bag. He pushed the button for the basement, ensuring a lengthy ride.

"Danny I showed you like 3 times how to check your voicemail. I know for fact you remember how to check it."

She looked at his face in the yellow light; it was giving his skin a sickly looking pallor. His jaw was clenched and his brow had the tell tale signs of furrow-ness.

"Oh my. Is Daniel Mussolini Castellano jealous? Of a man who thinks Indian equals Native American?" She asked lightly, a wide smile across her face.

"Okay, I'm going to ignore the Mussolini bit for now because that's not what this is about. But yes. That fucker, Ian _"the douchebag"_ clearly just ASSUMES you're going home with him! Strutting around like he's god's gift to women! Newsflash Ian. You-"

Mindy cut him off with a rough kiss, pushing her tongue into his mouth and aligning her body with his. He quickly responded, his hands roving in all the right places making her moan.

"God it's so hot when you jealously ramble." She breathlessly panted.

"Wait, you like when I'm jealous?" He pulled his head away from her neck to check her face for any hit of sarcasm.

"I mean not like possessively jealous, that's never cute. But that "douchebag" never had a chance babe. So yeah. I think you're adorable." He smirked at her reassurance and ushered her into the corner of the elevator where his mouth resumed it's earlier travels down her neck. Her fingers crept their way under the waistband of his jeans.

The elevator door opened and they stumbled out of it together, propelled into the dark of the basement floor. Mindy's arms were encircled around his neck while he had his hands on her ass. This wasn't the best idea in an uncharted and dark room. It was basically a killer's MO. It turned out it wasn't a killer they had to watch out for, but gym equipment laying forgotten on the ground. Heavy gym equipment.

They hit the floor with a resounding thud. Danny landed on his back while she landed comfortably on top of him. She took out her phone again to use it as a flashlight.

"Well at least you cushioned my fall. Are you okay?" She shined the phone at him, checking to see if he was still with her and conscious.

"Remind me to knock Peter out next time he suggests another MMA match."

"I don't know– these mats are kind of comfy. We'll have to burn our clothes after this though."


	4. Partition

**Author's note: I'd like to say this is an intentional Beyonce celebratory birthday post, but it is purely coincidental (OR FATE?). One thing you should know about me: I cannot write anything in a timely manner. I've had this installment mostly written for months, along with a few others, but couldn't get down to finishing it. One reason is I'm terrible at writing smut. I feel like this way too wordy… In other words, in need of a beta!**

The trip upstate didn't exactly start on their previously scheduled time. They both left the office later than they had expected and by the time Mindy was "officially" packed, dusk was closing in on the city's famous skyline. Then there was the Friday night traffic from those daring to actually leave the tiny overly (in Danny's opinion) populated island. And truth be told, Danny wasn't completely and totally confident behind the wheel… Not that he'd ever admit it to Mindy.

"Can you please explain again, why we're going?" He asked, turning to look at her. Now that they were out of the thick of the stressful driving he felt he could properly and safety engage in conversation. Not that Mindy even seemed to mind the silence, she had been absorbed in that lady's prison show.

"Oh Danny, my sweet naive biscotti," she looked up from her phone, taking her earbud out, "when have I ever _not_ gone to a wedding? I mean, I even went to Beverly's daughter's wedding and I'm like 97% sure she doesn't even have a daughter. That woman had to be about 50 years old. Which makes me wonder; how old is Beverly? Did you know that under age on her original work application she just wrote, "Wasn't of legal age to own a firearm when JFK was assassinated"? And that had to be one of the least terrifyingly cryptic answers she gave."

"Yeah but this is Jamie and Lucy. Isn't our backstory with them kind of– I don't know, embarrassing? We were both dumped on Valentine's Day. I was ditched not 3 minutes after getting to second base with the woman." Danny threw his hands up, momentarily releasing the steering wheel.

"Okay perv, take it easy. Just think of this as a chance to redeem ourselves! Also I know I was only invited as acknowledgement for my Joan Cusack-like role in their love story. They were just best friends for like 10 years before I came along. We so have them beat! I mean we couldn't even stand each other in the beginning! In terms of film translation, our story would be a box office success. Plus, doesn't spending a week upstate sound posh? Very high society. Like maybe we should buy a vineyard or go antiquing in a rustic converted barn."

"Our story is better isn't it?" He smirked.

"Oh my god Danny, so much better," she smiled and reached over to brush the back of his neck.

They settled back into their comfortable silence. Mindy turned back to her show muttering something about an evil bitch named Vee, while Danny's GPS informed him of the next exit.

It was now well past pitch dark. Danny hadn't seen this level of darkness since maybe the blackout of 2003. He could actually see the stars, not that he was an astronomer but he could appreciate them– though not for their so called navigational use. It was quiet. They were at the point where they seldom encountered another car. This definitely was not the city. Though the country did offer its own type of murderous dangers– Danny had seen enough of those backwoods horror films and couldn't help but think there might be a glimmer of truth to them. Hopefully there would be no The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn situations.

The air was thick with fog, either in part to the increased elevation or an impending storm he was unsure. The Catskill Mountains, who got married on a mountain? It just seems unnecessary, Danny thought to himself.

Just then, as if in universal disagreement, the sky opened up. Colossal raindrops pelted the windshield, rendering visibility even worse than before.

"Mark this down– this is a sign of us being unwelcome. This wedding is going to be a disaster." Danny grumbled. He was unable to even make out the lines on the road.

"You are such a freak. This is not a sign. We're fine. Just use the wipers and headlights!"

"Hey, I'd really appreciate if you didn't passenger seat drive okay? I'm pulling over until it stops torrential down pouring. The last thing this trip needs is for us to drive off the side of a mountain."

The gravel crunched beneath the wheels as he pulled off the immediate road. All around it sounded like his white noise machine. The heavy rainfall, the cacophony of the woods probably some weird birds or maybe frogs? He just knew they provided a constant calming background noise. That is, calming as long as they weren't actually confronted with said things providing the white noise.

With few things left to do, Danny leaned back against the headrest with a sigh, and closed his eyes. He was bent on enjoying his reprieve, however short it was, from driving.

While he was at the edge of unconsciousness he felt a warm hand squeeze his thigh.

"No sleeping Danny! Haven't you seen any of those slasher films? You need to stay alert I can't take on a whole pack of cannibalistic woodsmen by myself!"

"Min, if you want me coherent for this after rehearsal cocktail thing they're giving– just let me close my eyes for ten minutes. I mean as long as it's raining anyway."

Danny mistook Mindy's lack of retort as acquiesce. That was until he heard her flip up both armrests and felt her jolt his seat back. In the next second Mindy was sitting comfortably on his lap.

"Whoa! What are you doing? We don't need another citation for public indecency!"

"We haven't seen any sign of human life in over an hour. Plus we rented this rather large care– I mean besides the added bonus of more room for my wardrobe essentials, there's also more _leg_ room. Be prepared Danny, that's the Girl Scout motto."

"Can we please not bring up Girl Scouts? And anyway, I think that's the Boy Scout motto."

"Potayto, potahto."

He took in their surroundings, accessing for any possible disturbances– especially ones involving them ending up in the back of a cop car.

Mindy moved to unbuckle his belt, leaning forward to capture his lips in the process. That's all the convincing it took.

Danny could feel the heat between her legs as her dress rode up on her thighs. He was already a goner.

He gathered her in his arms, gripping the soft fabric of her dress at her hips. Wiggling a bit to aid her in unfastening his jeans.

Her kisses moved to his neck and that spot under his ear that drove him up the wall. Danny took the time to knead the flesh of her ass, inching the fabric up further and further until he had his hands dipped under the lace of her panties.

"Speaking of preparedness, you wore these as if they aren't a hindrance. You don't seem very prepared to me." He grinned, ready to remedy the situation himself, not for a minute willing to lose any contact.

Danny grasped the lace and attempted to rip it apart– attempted to, meaning that's not what actually happened.

"Jesus Danny! Are you serious, you just gave me the biggest wedgie!"

"Well what the hell are these things made of? Cast iron?!"

"Obviously not. Just– there's a tear in the front. Rip from there!"

He changed gears, now trying to find this tear by feel. Feeling a bit on the spot and more than a little frustrated.

Mindy, most impatiently, smacked his hands away and went at the task herself– though quickly succeeding where he had failed. There was the telltale sound of fabric ripping, she shifted and threw the now scrap to the side.

"Well that was sexy."

"Shut up." She grabbed his face and silenced him with her lips. They melted together as their passion further inflamed.

Mindy was grinding his lap, her breathing growing heavier. She reached down on the side of the driver's seat and pulled a lever, reclining them back abruptly. She landed atop his chest with a laugh. Her laughter filling him with a whole other kind of warmth. Danny smiled as he snaked his hands up the back of her dress, only to rake them back down. In response Mindy unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and bit his collarbone.

Her hands traveled down his chest, making light circles here and there, heightening his arousal, making his pulse race wildly. She took charge, seizing him in her hand. Danny groaned as she gave him a few strokes for good measure.

She swiftly sank down on his cock, making a tiny mewling noise. Her hair created a curtain around their faces, he brushed one side behind her ear, licking and sucking her pressure point. He knew she'd scold him later for his teenage predilection toward hickeys but right now it's all he could do to keep from letting go too early.

Mindy with her arms resting on his abdomen, began to roll her hips as best as she could given their current location. Sweat glistened above her neckline, highlighted by the moonlight, giving her a saint-like glow. The outline of her jaw softly exposed. So fucking beautiful, Danny thought.

"A little help here would be appreciated…"

Danny chuckled and made a thrust upwards, earning a short gasp from Mindy. His mouth traced the skin above the cut of her dress, tasting the salty sweet perspiration there. Her hands wove through his dark curls, holding his head to her chest as he lavished her through the thin material of her bra. She let out a long moan when he lightly bit one of her pebbled nipples.

The way she sped up the movement of her hips had Danny panting even harder. Seeing her on top always made him quick to unravel.

Danny slipped his fingers down to where they were joined to rub her clit, he was ready to see her unhinged. He needed to see it before he became unhinged himself. She threw her arm back, looking for purchase anywhere. He could hear the sound of the air conditioner sputtering to life mixed among the quick successions of her cries.

Mindy griped his shoulder, pushed up against him and stilled as her orgasm worked through her. Her eyes screwed shut while her mouth hung open in the shape an O. Danny felt her walls clench around his cock, constricting and pulling him to completion inside of her as she continued to rock through her aftershocks.

They clung together, waiting for their labored breathing to subside. Mindy rested her head against him, her hair was plastered to her forehead and to his chest.

Mindy clambered off his lap and back to the passenger's seat, "Oh my god, car sex is always such a work out. It looks like that scene from Titanic all up in here." Danny watched as she righted her dress and flipped down the visor to inspect the damage done to her make-up and hair. He loved seeing her slightly mussed up and rosy cheeked.

"I know you're staring at me weirdo." She sneered but he could see in the lit mirror the crinkle in her eyes. Danny bent over the console and planted a kiss on her head.

Mindy turned to face him but her face suddenly paled.

"Umm Danny... a car just stopped on the road right next to us! What if they're looking for warm bodies to make crazy flesh lamps?!"

Danny turned the overhead lights on inside the car and rolled the window down a crack. One hand ready to grab Mindy's bag, which was the only make shift weapon in the vicinity– it weighed a ton at least.

"Hey, is everything alright? You guys have your hazards on." The man called from his Jeep Cherokee. Mindy visibly relaxed but Danny felt like a child who was caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

"..Uh yes! Everything is good. Perfectly normal. I mean I thought maybe there was something wrong with the... uh, engine! Like maybe a bird was trapped under the hood? So we pulled over to try and-" Danny's sputtering and the high pitched cracks in his voice were starting to alarm the kind passerby.

Mindy leaned over Danny, "I think what my boyfriend meant to say is, we're a bit lost. The rain kind of threw us off course."

"Well where are you headed?" The man sounded plenty pleased that she had taken the reins in the conversation.

"Our friends are getting married, the venue is called The Eagle's Nest."

"You're on the right track, just keep going straight on 17 a few more miles. Mountain Road will be on the left."

"Thank you sir!" Mindy shouted after him while grabbing her phone off the dash.

She flashed him the brightly screen, the first picture they took together her background, "Better late than never! Now zip up your pants babe."


	5. Superpower

_Blackmail is definitely one of my top three favorite pastimes_, Mindy grinned to herself as she turned her key. Thanks to her love of lording delicate information over someone's head– in this instance Peter, she had the night off. Now Mindy was free to try and sit through some boring black and white movie with her boyfriend and Jeremy would never find out that Peter was the one who stole his credit card and made all those "strange and obscene" purchases online. Everybody wins. She was unprepared for the sight that awaited her when she opened the door to Danny's apartment.

"Oh my god Danny, are you watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"

Danny jumps up quickly, flustering and fumbling to shut off the television.

"You are you perv! And judging from Buffy's hairstyle you're on season three!" Her perfectly manicured finger pointed at him in indignation.

Danny's face was scrunched up in total confusion, "Wait 'perv?' What are you talking about?"

"You're watching this show to look at high school girls! It doesn't matter that the actors were older! Don't be a disgusting old man– I'm not ready to deal with your midlife crisis, there are not enough mimosas in Manhattan."

"What? No, that's not why I'm watching. That's just ridiculous! Okay I was talking to Little Danny a few weeks ago, sort of falling asleep because I had just climbed into bed after Mrs. Hume's emergency c-section and Little Danny was going on about the sleepover she went to and how they played 'light as a feather, stiff as a board' I didn't really have any insight to add to the conservation besides a few 'uh huhs' and 'yeahs.' She laughed and said I reminded her of that tree thing from Guardians of Space and again I had no clue what she was talking about.

So she started to explain and then she went into how this tree can do cool things like make little lights and dance to 'I Want You Back.' Get this, she said her best friend Juna told her that it was a song by Michael Jackson's boy band– can you believe that? I told her that they were actually a family band called The Jackson 5-" Danny paused as Mindy grasped his shoulder firmly to help him get to a point.

"Babe, you know I love your tirade on the complexities of the Jackson family and their influence on today's music but please tell me how this connects to you watching Buffy."

"Without them you wouldn't have had your Backstreet Boys or New Kids on the Block! They just wouldn't exist!" Now he was gesturing wildly, probably ready to get up and draw her a graph or pull up some essay.

"DANNY," Mindy shouted attempting to draw him away from a sure fire rant.

"Sorry, okay yeah... But Little Danny said if she could have any superpower she'd want to have the Slayer's powers. She then had to explain what Buffy the Vampire Slayer was because Buffy Summers is her hero. At which point the only way she would let me leave the conversation was if I promised to watch the first episode. So here I am."

"No that's not where you are though. You clearly like it you big softie! You're like, over 40 episodes in!"

"Hey I'll admit it's pretty cheesy, especially the first season, but I like Giles."

"You would, nerd."

"And I can see why little Danny likes it. Buffy's a positive role model, I mean she's no Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Elizabeth Blackwell... but I guess she's more relatable to young girls."

"How very progressive of you Danny! I applaud your recognition of the greatness that is Buffy Summers. Buffy helped me through my college years. You know, kick butt, take names, look cute as hell."

"I'm extremely progressive. Didn't I bookmark that Sandberg TED talk for you?"

"Oh my god Danny! The next time we go out to visit we should take her to see Buffy's house... Ooh! And that creepy mansion Spike and Drusilla lived in– I bet we can sneak in, the place is huge. I can bring that thing I got off the internet that's supposed to open any door!"

Danny smirked with a roll of his eyes. He always loved Mindy's enthusiasm, even more so when it involved talks of their future.

"Can we order in from that Chinese/Hawaiian fusion place down block and watch some more? I haven't watched since college and I want to know if I still feel as passionate about Spike and Buffy or if maturity has landed me on the side of Angel and Buffy. Never Riley though, what a stick in the mud! He's the Buffy equivalent of Dean from Gilmore Girls– uckk," Mindy fake gagged. Already scheming up ways to lure Danny into marathoning Gilmore Girls with her. He's such a Luke– lovable sexy grump.

"Buffy and that Billy Idol wannabe? Are you kidding me they hate each other, they're enemies!"

She kicked off her shoes to move into the space under his arm, reveling in the warmth of his body and the crisp scent of sweater.

Mindy leaned over and grabbed the remote, "Oh sweetheart, the things you have yet to learn."

"Hey Min, if you could maybe not tell Peter about this I'd really appreciate it."

"...Oops. I kind of already snapchatted it to everyone," she grimaced.

"Of course you did," Danny exhaled, already resigned to the copious amounts of teasing he'd face tomorrow.

Mindy kissed his cheek and snuggled further into his arms. Smiling at the ways in which one Daniel Castellano could still surprise her.


End file.
